Add some actual ammo management to Colonial Marines. If you've ever played Jagged Alliance 2 or a survival game you'll probably understand. If not, here's an explanation.
Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole):
► Show Spoiler
The Colonial Marines have a problem. It has little to do about facehuggers or Xenomorphs. No, I'm talking about something much more sinister, deep rooted and vile.
It's their rudimentary obsession with ammo, inventory slots, and carrying AS MANY CLIPS INTO BATTLE AS POSSIBLE. I've seen standards fist-fight over webbing. I've seen marines empty shotgun shell boxes so they can carry an additional 20 clips of ammo for their M41as. I've even seen backpacks stuffed to the brim with of M39s. For what purpose? With the amount most marines carry, we might as well enable infinite ammo.
*pictured above, average USCM Squad Standard Marine*
So what form of utter heresy am I about to unleash?
I'm suggesting we limit the amount of ammunition a marine can carry into battle.
What does this serve? How does this benefit us? In short, it adds a thin layer of logistics to the game. Yet ultimately, it will make the game more fun. You heard me. More fun.
When trapped behind enemy lines, you will start to worry about supplies. Are you more careful with your shots? Do you ask your comrades if they can spare an extra clip? Do you scavenge the body of a long-dead ally looking for his spare ammo? Do you consider dropping your rifle and switching to your pistol? Or do you place a beacon and radio in for more ammo?
There's plenty of ammo available, but (with this idea) it won't always be at an arms reach. You'll have to rely on your squad and your survival tactics to win the day.
It's their rudimentary obsession with ammo, inventory slots, and carrying AS MANY CLIPS INTO BATTLE AS POSSIBLE. I've seen standards fist-fight over webbing. I've seen marines empty shotgun shell boxes so they can carry an additional 20 clips of ammo for their M41as. I've even seen backpacks stuffed to the brim with of M39s. For what purpose? With the amount most marines carry, we might as well enable infinite ammo.
*pictured above, average USCM Squad Standard Marine*
So what form of utter heresy am I about to unleash?
I'm suggesting we limit the amount of ammunition a marine can carry into battle.
What does this serve? How does this benefit us? In short, it adds a thin layer of logistics to the game. Yet ultimately, it will make the game more fun. You heard me. More fun.
When trapped behind enemy lines, you will start to worry about supplies. Are you more careful with your shots? Do you ask your comrades if they can spare an extra clip? Do you scavenge the body of a long-dead ally looking for his spare ammo? Do you consider dropping your rifle and switching to your pistol? Or do you place a beacon and radio in for more ammo?
There's plenty of ammo available, but (with this idea) it won't always be at an arms reach. You'll have to rely on your squad and your survival tactics to win the day.
► Show Spoiler
In a rather simple way of handling this, we restrict most ammo to the belt. Webbing is now standard issue for Engineers, but can't hold ammo. Ammo can't fit in boxes, can't be stored in pockets, and doesn't (with the exception of the M4a3 pistol) fit in the armor slot. The average marine carries anywhere between 4-6 clips. Not 12-30.
Each squad is given an ammo box for storing spare ammo. It holds a lot of spare ammo, but can only be carried, not stored. You fill this puppy with ammo, and the squad uses it to replenish their stocks when they run low. Lose it, and you'll have to resort to supply drops, communication and scavenging.
*remember this guy?*
You stick with your squad. They, afterall, have the main source of ammo. You have enough ammo on your person to last you several encounters, but not the war. Therefore, you watch your shots, radio in for ammo, and communicate. If you run off to fight your own war, you'll really have to be careful because you won't have the support or supply to fire wildly.
A. In short, if you're someone who communicates well with their squad, this likely won't effect you in the slightest. You'll have even more fun. It will give you something to talk about, something to manage, and will ultimately make everything a little more tense. Instead of just shooting things you'll have to manage supplies and keep the FOB fully stocked. You'll have to make some tough choices over what to pack, and it will add some replayability to the game.
B. If you're someone who likes to run off, hates communication, and isn't a team player, this idea will likely make you feel afraid. How are you supposed to fire indefinitely? Isn't it realistic to carry 35 magazines of high-caliber ammunition on your body at all times? Who took your webbing? Isn't the marine underwear the standard issue uniform?
And who in the hell is the guy in white barking orders at me?
If you still don't believe me, try it out yourself. Underpack on ammo for a round (1-3 magazines). Try and procure it on site. You'll find things will be ultimately more interesting. I do this all the time, and I find it really strengthens the survival-horror aspect of Colonial Marines.
An alternate implementation to this is that you can carry a lot of ammo, but it will slow you down the more you carry.
Each squad is given an ammo box for storing spare ammo. It holds a lot of spare ammo, but can only be carried, not stored. You fill this puppy with ammo, and the squad uses it to replenish their stocks when they run low. Lose it, and you'll have to resort to supply drops, communication and scavenging.
*remember this guy?*
You stick with your squad. They, afterall, have the main source of ammo. You have enough ammo on your person to last you several encounters, but not the war. Therefore, you watch your shots, radio in for ammo, and communicate. If you run off to fight your own war, you'll really have to be careful because you won't have the support or supply to fire wildly.
A. In short, if you're someone who communicates well with their squad, this likely won't effect you in the slightest. You'll have even more fun. It will give you something to talk about, something to manage, and will ultimately make everything a little more tense. Instead of just shooting things you'll have to manage supplies and keep the FOB fully stocked. You'll have to make some tough choices over what to pack, and it will add some replayability to the game.
B. If you're someone who likes to run off, hates communication, and isn't a team player, this idea will likely make you feel afraid. How are you supposed to fire indefinitely? Isn't it realistic to carry 35 magazines of high-caliber ammunition on your body at all times? Who took your webbing? Isn't the marine underwear the standard issue uniform?
And who in the hell is the guy in white barking orders at me?
If you still don't believe me, try it out yourself. Underpack on ammo for a round (1-3 magazines). Try and procure it on site. You'll find things will be ultimately more interesting. I do this all the time, and I find it really strengthens the survival-horror aspect of Colonial Marines.
An alternate implementation to this is that you can carry a lot of ammo, but it will slow you down the more you carry.
Please keep an open mind. Like I said before, try underpacking before you criticize this idea. You'll find it makes the round more interesting and fun.
